The cold wave type hair waving composition most widely used today in "home kits" is the ammonium thioglycolate type. The alkaline solution of ammonium thioglycolate is applied to the hair for a short time, rinsed, and the treated hair subsequently fixed (oxidized, neutralized) with one of the commercially available products for this purpose, such as a solution of sodium or potassium bromate.
Ammonium thioglycolate is not a completely satisfactory waving compound in that it has an odor which is not agreeable to many users; is a slight eye irritant; and causes damage to the bulk properties of the hair and also causes chemical damage, as evidenced by porosity measurement using copper uptake.
Thus, there is a need for a hair waving composition which is as effective as, or more effective than, ammonium thioglycolate in wave efficiency and curl retention, and which is odorless and less damaging to the hair.